According to NASA, almost every galaxy we know of to date has a supermassive black hole at its center. Some of them are active and this can be seen thanks to the material that falls inside them and the radiation that this produces. The more material falls there, the more intense its glow. These types of objects are known as Active Galaxy Nucleus or AGN for its acronym in English. The AGN that exists in the galaxy NGC 1068, neighboring the Milky Way, is one of the closest ones that is considered active.
Now, a team of astronomers from the University of Arizona has obtained the highest resolution images ever taken of an AGN in the infraredusing the )) and the images have been ((LINK:EXTERNAL” target=”_blank”>https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02461-y”>
“The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer can be considered the first extremely large telescope, so it is very exciting to show that this is possible“says Jacob Isbell, leader of the study, in )).
The Large Binocular Telescope features two 8.4-meter mirrors independently, essentially functioning as two separate telescopes mounted side by side. By combining the light from both mirrors, you achieve a much higher resolution than would be possible with each mirror separately. This imaging technique has been used successfully in the past to study volcanoes on the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io. The Jupiter results encouraged researchers to use the interferometer to observe an AGN.
“The AGN within the galaxy NGC 1068 andIt’s especially bright, so it was the perfect opportunity to try this method – adds Isbell -. “These are the highest resolution direct images of an AGN taken so far.”
In the image you can see how the bright disk around the supermassive black hole releases a lot of light, a phenomenon known as radiation pressure. The images revealed a wind that expands due to radiation pressure.
By comparing the images obtained by Isbell’s team with previous observations, it was possible to link This finding is linked to a radio jet that is passing through the galaxy, hitting and heating clouds of molecular gas and dust. Radio jet feedback is the interaction between powerful jets of radiation and particles emitted by supermassive black holes and their surrounding environment.
Direct imaging with extremely large telescopes, such as the Largest Binocular Telescope Interferometer and the future ((LINK:EXTERNAL” target=”_blank”>https://astro.arizona.edu/giant-magellan-telescope”> of more than 25 meters located in Chile, allows simultaneously distinguishing the feedback of radio jets and dusty wind. Previously, the various processes were mixed together due to low resolution, but now it is possible to see their individual impact. The study shows that the environments of AGNs can be complex, and the new findings help to better understand the interaction of AGNs with their host galaxies.
“This type of images can be used on any astronomical object – concludes Isbell -. We have already begun to observe disks around stars or very large and evolved stars, that have dusty wrappings around them.”